Patna, Bihar •
Jan 10, 2024
Bihar’s chhapa artisans: wafer-thin margins
Using a very thin sheet of aluminium foil, chhapa craftsmen print metal flowers and other designs onto clothes – a craft that dates back centuries. Despite the high level of skill the art calls for, this is a seasonal livelihood tied to the wedding months, and many artisans work as daily wage labourers the rest of the year
Author
Photographs
Author
Umesh Kumar Ray
Umesh Kumar Ray is a Takshila-PARI Senior Fellow 2025, and a former PARI Fellow 2022. A freelance journalist, he is based in Bihar and covers marginalised communities.
Editors
Priti David
Priti David is the Executive Editor of PARI. She writes on forests, Adivasis and livelihoods. Priti also leads the Education section of PARI and works with schools and colleges to bring rural issues into the classroom and curriculum.
Editors
Sarbajaya Bhattacharya
Sarbajaya Bhattacharya is a Senior Assistant Editor at PARI. She is an experienced Bangla translator. Based in Kolkata, she is interested in the history of the city and travel literature.
Photographs
Shreya Katyayini
Shreya Katyayini is a filmmaker and Senior Video Editor at the People's Archive of Rural India. She also illustrates for PARI.
Photographs
Umesh Kumar Ray
Umesh Kumar Ray is a Takshila-PARI Senior Fellow 2025, and a former PARI Fellow 2022. A freelance journalist, he is based in Bihar and covers marginalised communities.
